Baker mum on MBTA fare hike

http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_politics/2015/10/baker_mum_on_mbta_fare_hike



Baker mum on MBTA fare hike
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Jordan Graham

The Baker administration is ducking questions about whether it would support possible MBTA fare and parking fee hikes — even though the governor has repeatedly said the troubled transit agency has to reform its ways before it gets any additional revenue.

“The administration is focused on fixing the MBTA in partnership with the FMCB (Fiscal Management and Control Board), improving reliability across the system, including the commuter rail and executing the winter resiliency plan,” said Tim Buckley, spokesman for Gov. Charlie Baker, in a statement yesterday after being asked repeatedly about the administration’s position on the potential increases.

The MBTA on Friday said it was considering raising fares across the board effective July 1, 2016, but did not say by how much. While a spokesman for MassDOT said there was no specific proposal on the table, an MBTA spokesman said the agency’s finances assume a 
5 percent increase in fiscal 2017.

The T also said it was looking at a plan to both increase capacity and hike parking rates at MBTA lots to raise between $10 million and $15 million. The agency is faced with a $242 million deficit in the budget for fiscal 2017, and is trying to make up some of the gap, the T said.